


Come A-knocking

by PhantomWriter



Series: Time I'll Never Know [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Single POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23129293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomWriter/pseuds/PhantomWriter
Summary: When his brother comes in with a man dressed as a tax accountant who claims to be an angel of the Lord, Dean is understandably thinking his leg is being pulled while he's sent to a whirlwind of argument on the existence of angels and God.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Series: Time I'll Never Know [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581745
Comments: 3
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a continuation of the previous fic in this series. FYI, the reason the series is not a multi-chaptered fic instead is because of the single POV dedicated per fic. This time it's Dean's. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Dean stares at the guy and, nope, this one isn’t joking.

This stranger in a trench coat just called himself an angel of the Lord.

“Okay, buddy, I don’t know from what ditch behind a bar Sam picked you from and frankly, I don’t care,” Dean says, raising his arms in surrender He turns to Sam, unimpressed, and says, “If this is payback for that—”

“Dean, no. This isn’t payback or anything. I know you; you’re probably thinking of drawing Cas out like luring some kind of creature out in the open. You want a straight answer, then here he is,” Sam argues.

“ _Cas_. Oh, so you’re first name basis now with this—this guy.” Dean gestures vaguely at Castiel who merely watches the two of them back and forth and frowns.

“I do not have family name. ‘Cas’ is a shortened version of my name, I believe,” Castiel says as if that’s the point here. “But if it’s family name that you wish to know, Jimmy uses the name Novak.”

“Wha—Who the hell is Jimmy?”

“The name of the vessel I’m using.”

“You’re possessing someone?” Dean asks incredulously, furiously. “Don’t feed me the crap about you being an angel because you’re obviously a fucking demon!”

“No. It doesn’t work the same way with demons. Jimmy is a devout man who prayed for this, and he had to give his consent in order for me to use him,” Castiel explains. “That’s how it is with us angels in order for us to walk here on earth.”

“You know what, why don’t you zip it, buddy? See, my brother and I clearly have something to talk about between us. So wherever he picked your drunken ass from, you can go back to it and forget this shit happened.”

Castiel tilts his head at Dean and squints at him eerily. It’s the only sign of expression Dean sees in him so far, and it’s a tad disconcerting.

“He doesn’t believe me,” Castiel says to Sam. “Your brother doesn’t believe I am an angel of the Lord who gripped him tight and raised him from perdition.”

Dean wants to smack Sam for looking amused at Castiel’s statement. “Sorry about that. Dean here is more of a ‘show don’t tell’ kind of guy. You’ll get used to it. Trust me.”

Castiel considers it for a moment before he steps back and there’s a sound of crashing thunder right outside the motel in the middle of a clear day. Dean jolts at the sudden noise while Sam merely sits down the bed like he’s waiting for the great revelation to unfold. The room dims to total darkness until the light flashes and Dean can make out the large shadows of what appear to be wings extending from wall to wall.

The image is gone as quickly as it appeared.

“Cool,” Dean hears Sam mutter under his breath as the room returns to its natural state.

“What the hell.”

“Those are my wings,” Castiel confirms. “I would have shown you my true form, but it is not for the eyes of humans for it can burn your eyesight. It is also the size of your Chrysler Building.”

Dean’s terribly confused and overtaxed brain trying to comprehend the last few minutes primarily registers the sentence as an innuendo. Dean is so not having this conversation.

“Oh, god.”

“He is my father, yes,” Castiel says. Dean is tempted to look back at Sam but doesn’t deign himself to for fear that he’ll find Sam laughing behind him.

“I didn’t ask!” Dean exclaims. “Jesus, I’m still not buying all these angel and Lord crap!”

“Dean,” Sam starts with a sigh. “He’s telling the truth. What’s so difficult with finding out there are angels? There are demons, Dean!”

“Well, you’re free to believe him, Sam. I don’t friggin’ care! As for me? I don’t. So if you want me to get on board all this Christian nonsense, you’re gonna have to do better than giving me a light show.”

Castiel’s focus remains zeroed on him, and Dean tries to stand straighter under his scrutiny. Like he’ll let some unknown guy— _creature_ intimidate him. Either Castiel gets the hell out or Dean does that for him and gank his ass.

“You don’t have faith,” Castiel says in realization. He’s not a bit offended by Dean’s words. If anything, he looks like he’s trying to understand Dean’s points from the perspective of a human. “Why, Dean? Is it so hard to believe that good things do happen? That they can happen to you as well?”

Dean flinches and turns his attention elsewhere. It’s not—No. There are more glaring things that are worth calling attention to and one of them is Sam barging in with John Constantine who claims he’s a freaking angel. It’s not about the question of Dean’s faith at all nor is it whether he’s someone who deserves to be saved.

“Then why me, huh? Of all the people, why me? Alright, I’ve saved some people but I figure that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. I’m just a regular guy!”

“You’re not,” Castiel answers. “Certainly not to us nor God. It’s our Father who commanded that you be saved, and I am only a follower of his orders.” 

Dean refuses to step back when Castiel approaches him closer, and, wow, okay, so angels don’t have a sense of personal space, is that it?

“But if it’s all the same to you, we brought you back because we have work for you.” Castiel’s eyes flitter to Sam. “And you as well, Sam.”

Ah, there it is, the catch.

Dean snorts. “You could have started with that.”

Castiel retreats, quiet in contemplation. He seems to have noticed an err in his behavior though he doesn’t apologize. Dean has the impression that angels—if they are indeed true—are dicks in general and not just Castiel.

“There is a press for time, but I’ll allow you the rest of the day to take in what I said and to… accept my kind’s existence,” Castiel says. “I’ll return tomorrow.”

He’s gone without further ado, vanishing into thin air in front of them and with the sound of flapping giant wings after him. Dean takes a minute to compose himself before he whirls to Sam.

“Talk. Now.”

* * *

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

“Cas pretty much told you everything. What else do you want me to say?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Sammy. For starters, how about you tell me how you are even sure it’s him who pulled me out of Hell.”

“I told you; Ruby told me that it wasn’t a demon,” Sam reminds him. “And, really, Dean? You and I ganked a lot of them so I think the last thing they would do was to let you walk free from their territory without a scratch.”

“Why should we even believe that bitch in the first place?”

“And why shouldn’t we?” Sam reasons. “What was the purpose if Ruby lied to me while I killed her?”

“I don’t know!” Dean exclaims, too agitated to see Sam’s point at the moment. “I don’t know what to believe, Sam.”

“Then believe in me,” Sam says, almost pleading. “Trust me when I say that it was Castiel, an angel, who pulled you out of Hell. He’s on our side, Dean, and I trust him.”

“You only know him less than twenty-four hours and you already trust him.” Dean scoffs. “Unbelievable. No wonder Ruby got into your head that easy.”

It’s too late to get the words back when Dean sees Sam flinching. Doesn’t matter. Dean has to get it out of his system. There’s still that overdue talk about Sam working with Ruby and drinking demon blood for fuck’s sake. 

“Yeah, that’s on me, and I’ll forever regret trusting her,” Sam says, not looking away. “But Cas… Cas is on our side, Dean. You have to give him a chance.”

Dean doesn’t understand why Sam feels strongly about this. Sam is the scholar between the two of them—he’s the one who is supposed to be more skeptical in this subject. 

“Look, I don’t want us to argue about this because we’ll have more pressing issues at hand later.” 

“Pressing,” Dean repeats, fixing his jaw. “You mean that Apocalypse that you told us yesterday.”

“That one,” Sam confirms, getting ready to leave. “If you need proof that it’s about to start, just check the news for any odd incident like freak storms, cattle mutilations, or anything along the lines.” Sam pauses. “If you don’t want to believe me, then you’ll hear it from Bobby. By the time we get there, I’m sure he already sees the news.”

Well, that’s one way to make Dean feel ridiculous. Hell, it’s not Sam that he distrusts but rather his judgment. Dean knows how much Sam wants to make it right, and the thing about his brother is that he always has good intentions. 

“You said the demons are now working to free… the Devil,” Dean says, struggling with yet another concept he can’t seem to properly wrap his mind on, although he’s less skeptical with the existence of the Devil himself than, say, God, after Sam told him of Lilith’s plan of grooming him for the Judgment Day. “We need to stop them quickly, or at least put a stopgap to their plans until we have a surefire way of killing them permanently aside from the single demon knife between us. It’ll be just you, me, and Bobby against a bunch of those pricks, but at least we know what we’re dealing with.”

“They have to break 66 seals to free Lucifer from the Cage,” Sam states. “They're done breaking the first one.”

“Already?”

“Yeah. It happened while you’re in Hell.” Sam hesitates to momentarily collect himself. Dean was suddenly assaulted with the sense of dread that he didn’t know was creeping up to him. “Dean, the first seal to open Lucifer’s Cage is the Righteous Man spilling blood in Hell,” Sam says in almost a whisper.

Sam lets the sentence hang oppressively until it wears down on Dean when the understanding dawns on him.

“You mean that’s me?” Dean asks thickly. He has to be sure goddamnit!

Sam’s weak nod seals the deal, and Dean doesn’t know whether to laugh at the irony.

It’s him. It was Dean who unknowingly broke that first fucking seal like it was the only shit he broke down there. Like he didn’t break a piece of himself that was already broken when he first picked up that blade to inflict pain to another soul.

Dean doesn’t remember the exact moment it happens, but the twisted memories from below are starting to come back to pull the rug underneath him.

He might be back topside without any superficial harm in his person, but his experience in Hell, muddled they might be in his mind right now, will be forever carried by his body and soul. He’ll never heal from those, and while Dean initially believes he can manage them in time, it’s not the worst thing he realizes.

Dean was saved when he didn’t deserve it.

* * *

Dean hates the silence when they drive back to Sioux Falls.

Sam checks on him intermittently though not speaking any more of the subject. The quietness only serves to let that ugly revelation stew inside Dean like a gnawing pit. Sam stops Bobby immediately upon their arrival, knows of the questions about to escape him and the findings he wants to share with them. Bobby doesn’t ask any more questions when Dean went to turn himself early for the night. 

Dean tosses and turns on the cushion. He’s unable to sleep even after Sam hits the sack and Bobby finally goes upstairs. Dean chalks the restlessness to the eventful day. It should be enough to wear him down, he thinks as he stares at Sam already sleeping on the floor.

Except, aside from the knowledge that he’s the cause of this Apocalypse upon them, there’s a nagging thing there that his brother is not quite the same.

Dean doesn’t completely understand where it might come from, but he thinks… he thinks Sam changed. His mind is too full to pinpoint the discernable changes he notices, and what he gets are questions upon questions without answers.

Dean wishes that for once, he gets a clear straightforward answer. 

* * *

Dean sits up when he senses another conscious presence.

There’s a silhouette of a man in Bobby’s kitchen and it isn’t Bobby standing there by the counter.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel says like it’s perfectly normal to enter someone else’s house without permission.

Whatever. Dean is too high-strung to deal with Castiel and teach him the intricacies of human manners. And fuck it, he’s mentally exhausted and decides to give Castiel the benefit of the doubt at least for tonight. 

“You again," Dean greets back flatly. "The angel. Messenger of God with the wings and halo, the whole nine yards. And I thought you guys look like babies.”

Castiel frowns at him in confusion. “We carry out God’s words, but we’re more warriors of Heaven,” he corrects. “We do not have a halo, a common misperception of humans about our kind, nor do we look like infants. You might be referring to the cherubim.”

“How are those different then?”

“A cherub is a fledgling, a young angel. An infant, if you will,” Castiel says. “They’re approximately as small as the size of your vehicle.”

Dean snorts. “Right. Small.”

“They are,” Castiel insists. He tilts his head and spots an asleep Sam. Castiel purses his lips and under the dim lighting of Bobby’s kitchen he meets Dean’s eyes. “But you didn’t call me to ask this. You have meaningful questions.”

“I didn’t call—Never mind.” At this point, Dean doesn’t care how Castiel finds out. “Let me get straight to the point. Was I the Righteous Man who broke the first of the 66 Seals?”

“Yes,” Castiel replies without any hesitation. “I see that Sam told you.”

“He did. Brutal honesty by his standards which is a surprise.” Dean smiles wryly. “Why did you pull me out of Hell, Castiel?”

"I told you: God commanded it."

"But aren't the bunch of you on the side of Heaven? Of the good people? Why did you bother with a single man who hurt someone down there just to save his skin? That kind of act, doesn't that go against your values?

"If you started by telling me that I have a job to do as retribution to what I did, I would have accepted that more. I don't need the sugarcoat of 'good things can happen to you' crap because that's not how it works. That's not how it works for me."

Castiel doesn't answer, though if Dean is to look through the darkness he won't miss the semblance of understanding that crosses Castiel's features. 

"I was tasked to raise you from Hell because you didn't belong there," he says simply. 

"How do you know that? Did you ever think that maybe if I was left there any second longer, I would turn into one of them? Maybe I have it all along in me, some kind of darkness I wasn't aware of until I'm faced with a difficult choice."

"If you do have it, I think I'll be the first to know," Castiel replies. "Despite Hell an uncharted territory even for me, my retrieval of you was swift. I found you quickly among the damned, among the tumultuous corrupted souls because you stood out from them like a bright beacon of light. You spilled blood, but it was not something that you revel on. You punish yourself for it by thinking you don't deserve to be saved."

A retort is ready at the tip of Dean’s tongue because what right does Castiel have to presume? Except Dean thinks Castiel hits right at home and any refute will be pointless.

“And I suppose you’re an expert in telling,” he mutters.

“Quite the contrary,” Castiel admits to Dean’s mild surprise. “I confess that amidst my fulfilling of duties to Heaven, I’ve almost forgotten about the man residing with me in this vessel, the person who owns this body. I only remembered Jimmy when you brought him up, and it gave me an idea to consult him how to further approach you. He was the one who told me that you might need reassurance that I saved you not only because it was necessary but it was right. He also pointed out that I lacked in tack when I revealed myself to you and that your reaction was perfectly understandable.” Castiel blinks. “He called me a baby in a trench coat.”

Dean can’t help the huff of a laugh that escapes him. “Jimmy knows what’s up. I don’t know about the baby part but it does make you look ridiculous in that getup for a ‘Warrior of Heaven’,” he allows. “Tell me, how do the two of you work if he’s still in there?”

“I keep him in a safe space while he lends me his body,” Castiel tells him. “He used to be asleep most of the time, but he’s awake longer today especially when I asked for his advice. I should speak to him more.”

“You said that as an angel the possession works differently from a demon’s,” Dean says. “You should let Jimmy take over sometimes.”

Castiel inclines his head. “I’ll… I’ll think about it. Jimmy will like that.”

Dean supposes that’s the best he can get.

“I will come back tomorrow in the morning,” Castiel says. “We’ll start discussing how we will all proceed. I promise to come alone, tell your brother that as well.” He moves towards Dean. “Rest for now, Dean, continue to sleep.”

“I can’t,” Dean answers. “Why did you think I noticed your arrival immediately?”

“Because I want you to,” Castiel responds and looks at Dean like it should be clear already. “You’re already sleeping, Dean. We’re in your dream.”

He reaches for Dean’s forehead and gives it a light tap of his finger. Dean feels like his balance is toppled over and he falls back to the couch he’s originally lying on, dozing off.

* * *

Dean wakes in the morning without forgetting what he and Castiel talked about. He’s a little better, and his mind a bit clearer.

Somewhere in there, he thinks he’s developing a semblance of respect for the angel who raised him from perdition. 


End file.
